


Summer Report

by JetnessAffliction



Category: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Genre: Gen, Gift Exchange, Gift Fic, galacticsantas2k19, spoilers up to end of Legend of the Galactic Heroes Die Neue These season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21914413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JetnessAffliction/pseuds/JetnessAffliction
Summary: A Julian and Yang platonic fic for embalmers (@eterniaforest) on the twitter @GalacticSantas 2019 secret santa exchange. Spoilers up to the end of the FPA Military Coup d'etat (End of the Die Neue These anime season 2; episode 24 in the OAV)  but no other story spoilers after that. A brief scene late at night at the Yang residence on Iserlohn Fortress, Summer of UC 797.“It’s not supposed to be fine literature, Julian.”
Comments: 7
Kudos: 21





	Summer Report

**Author's Note:**

  * For [embalmers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/embalmers/gifts).



> **` It was around 14:00 when my squad launched from deck 7 and I began simulation mission Delta with the six other squad members--` ** ****

Julian stared at the computer screen before him, fingers hovering over the keyboard. His thoughts were foggy and his shoulders already twitching with fatigue before he had even finished the first sentence of his report. It was summer, and not even a handful of years before, “report” would mean struggling to complete his grade level-appropriate reading list and stretching his summaries and argument about it’s social commentary to 7000 words while staring wistfully out the window at a perfect sunny day on Heinessen. But the war with the Galactic Empire had visited his home, and departed with his father and normal schoolboy life.

“It’s not supposed to be fine literature, Julian.” 

Julian blinked away from the screen and turned in his chair toward his legal guardian, Yang Wen Li, who looked more like a distracted professor of literature himself, rather than the youngest Full Admiral of the Alliance Fleet Forces and Commander at Iserlohn Fortress. A dusty book, missing buttons on his frayed cardigan, and mismatched socks seemed to be the uniform of the day. The socks weren’t even remotely similar colors. Julian frowned reflexively, how did that even happen?

“The basic format is ‘this is what happened and what should be done so it won’t happen again’, but completely out of chronological order because no one actually reads these incident reports except for Murai. Put the important info up top.”

"I know, Sir, it’s just... "

“Don’t cover for Poplin either, he’s writing his own report and will get what’s coming to him. Just be honest.”

“I’m not trying to cover for him… I’m just..” _hesitant to throw any of the newly stationed recruits under the bus, and give them more fuel to antagonize me_ , Julian finished quietly in his head.

Earlier that day had been a proper disaster. Shortly after the end of the military coup d'état, Olivier Poplin, who had been Julian’s mentor for Spartanian piloting and fighting, was saddled with a batch of fresh graduates and rookies from Heinessen. While Poplin was a natural commander for small groups, that only applied to those pilots who already knew what they were doing. He had become so fed up with the rookie squad’s mistakes during weeks of training maneuvers, that during today's training mission his comms line erupted in pained yells and gasps and an over dramatic "Avenge me!" before he went silent. Effectively, he was suddenly "dead". But a moment later, he contacted Julian on a private channel and told him between laughs to be a good lad and take over the mission in his honor while he took a break to replenish brain cells. Julian had tried to keep the rest of the confused, panicking young pilots on task, but he suspected that the voice of a sixteen year old teen on their comms ordering them around wasn’t what they were expecting. Bickering over who would take lead broke out, and that was how three Spartnians nearly collided with each other at full speed.

“You’ve already got an idea of why they didn’t listen to you, don’t you?” Yang relaxed against the door frame to Julian’s room, signaling ‘incoming lecture’ to the teen.

Julian sat sideways in his chair toward the older man, but averted meeting Yang’s gaze. He pretended to fixate on the mismatched socks. “Well... to them I’m just a brat who skipped years of formal training and was handed a rank based on aptitude tests. I didn't go through the same basic training that they all went through-- the drill instructor beatings, or the stress and sleepless nights before an inspection. I’m an outsider, right? Even worse than that, I’m the Admiral's boy.” 

“Well… there is that..” Yang started, voice soft if not a little reluctant to allow the tone in that last sentence to slide. “You can’t control their jealousy Julian, there’s no point in dwelling on that. But what I meant to say was that Poplin hadn’t established the chain of command as clear as he should have.” Yang shifted his weight and crossed his arms, the closed book dangling in the relaxed grip of his right hand. “You are part of the military hierarchy now, Warrant Officer Mintz-- regardless of how you got there, you’re one of thousands of the same rank. Poplin wanted you to take over after he dropped from the mission. That’s fine as far as simulated mission divergence goes, but he did so without clear instructions to the others, and hadn’t previously drilled into them that you were senior among them. Most importantly, Poplin didn’t give you a chance to establish why, before he ducked out: it's because out of all the new recruits, you’ve got the most level headed demeanor in a crisis, and you’ve probably racked up more fighting simulation hours than an entire freshman class at academy.”

Julian glanced upward as Yang’s words set in, the fog in his head slowly evaporating. 

“If you make a mistake-- if any of you new Warrant Officers make a mistake out there, it’s more the fault of those above you than anything else. That’s what this military machine is supposed to be built on, the basis of the rigid hierarchy. Those above are supposed to prepare and safeguard those below. They're also supposed to be held accountable. So this report isn't about what you did wrong personally, it's asking what the facts were and what leadership can do to improve." 

Julian quietly considered this point as the older man continued on. "If you're a soldier, then one day you'll be in charge of other lives, Julian, men and women will be in your care. Some will antagonize you, some you will sympathize with, all sorts. It doesn't matter if they respect you, you have to consider their safety and the squad's safety, and be accountable for them. And it just becomes a larger and larger pool of people the higher you go. That’s why I never really celebrate promotions-- there’s more responsibility with each rank.”

His guardian's wise words hung in the air, and Julian wondered if he was being sarcastic with the last point. He hadn't really noticed it before now-- how could he if he hadn't understood yet? That was what real leadership was. Julian made a face and turned his thoughts over, back to his task at hand. Tonight's lecture did a lot to assure Julian that he and his squad were not entirely incompetent, and that he didn't have to put that down in paper. But as to what he should write, he paused, “Are you telling me to go ahead and pin this on Poplin?” dubious, he raised an eyebrow.

“I’m telling you that Poplin isn’t going to pin it on _you_ ,” Yang had crossed the threshold into Julian’s room like a bounding cat, and the spine of his book connected against flaxen hair with a muted thud, for emphasis. "So don't contradict him in your report."

For his part, Julian could have easily avoided the hit, but he was still processing the contents of his report and knew that his guardian didn’t have enough upper body strength to inflict actual pain.

“It’s not that you or your fellow training crew weren’t ready for this mission.” Yang continued. “ It was Poplin who wasn’t. He tried to add an element to the mission that he hadn’t prepared for beforehand. Simple as that. It's rare to have a good man like Poplin as one of your superior officers out there, I'm sure he'd do everything to watch out for you when the danger is real. It's just that endless training drills make a guy like him stir-crazy and impulsive and he needs to be told so. Let Murai chew him out." Yang continued his rant, almost as if voicing his own mental notations, before suddenly changing tone. "Nothing personal, but if you had gotten seriously injured in that collision, I would have made his ‘playing dead’ stunt a reality.”

Julian let the words thud around in his brain with more impact than the book. “Sir, you really wouldn’t.”

“I’d be mad enough to try, and you know I hate effort.” 

At that, Julian cracked a smile and let out a small laugh, finally shaking away the fog and turning back to his screen. “I think I understand what to write now…”

“Glad to hear it. I’ll be finishing this up in the living room if you need me to take a look at the finished report.” Yang pulled his book back and made a slow retreat, smiling. It did well to act like a parent once in a while, if not a superior officer. Yang was content walking the line between the two roles for as long as he could with Julian. “And again, it’s not fine literature. There’s no word minimum here, either. Don’t go crazy on the details or personal supplement.”

“Right.” 

“Oh, if the others start sharing horror stories of their drill instructors beating them and you really want to fit in, tell them that Admiral Yang Wen Li once hit you on the head with a hardcover copy of _The Far Side of the World_ for not writing an incident report fast enough.” He winked and was out of sight.

“Yes, Sir.” Julian called out, already typing away.

> **` At approximately 14:00, we began Simulated Mission Delta with a crew consisting of myself and six other warrant officers.` **
> 
> **`I had just completed approach on the asteroid bearing at--` **

* * *

Yang read the report quietly, still in the same outstretched position on the couch he was in while reading his book. “It's good, just send it in first thing tomorrow and you should be fine,” he said after finishing and began handing the tablet screen back. He yawned with his hand still outstretched with the tablet, and Julian had to stop himself from sighing or commenting on such rude behavior.

“Thank you, Sir. Wow, it’s really been a while since I’ve done anything like this.. To think in another life I’d probably be doing a report on that book you have with you instead of Spartanian training incident reports...”

Yang sat up, and after a slow breath looked straight at Julian's bright eyes, “It doesn’t have to be another life, Julian. You can return to being a student. Really. Just say the words.” It was his gaze that felt heavier to Julian than any other words spoken that night, reflecting serious anticipation, a glimmer of hope that flashed behind it for a moment.

“I can’t. That’s not me, Sir.” Julian replied without hesitation. “Not anymore. I belong here now, I know it.”

“Of course.” Yang conceded, as he had done a handful of times after the same conversation. He deflated, sinking back lower into the couch. 

“But… I wouldn’t mind borrowing that book when you’re done with it.” 

“This? Are you interested? It’s a series of fictional war accounts, the Napoleonic wars and high seas on Earth to be exact. A real eye-opener. Apparently this was required reading in 20th century naval fleets and I can see wh-- Oh wait.”

“What?”

“Change your report.”

“Wait, what did you say?”

“No, no the contents, Julian. You have to rewrite it structurally. I forgot to mention that military reports are all in third-person perspective."

“Are you kidding me?”

"Never refer to yourself as 'I' or 'we', use 'WO Mintz' and the others by rank and name, or the squad name. It looks like you've got to rewrite the whole thing.”

Julian stood there, mouth slightly open.

“If you start right away, you can still make your 0700 deadline.”

Julian dropped his head and trudged back to the computer terminal in his room with a groan.

“Now you’ve got your sleepless night story!” Yang called out as he slid lower into the sofa and laid the book over his eyes, whispering into the words written there, “Welcome to military life, Julian…”

**Author's Note:**

> The moments where in the LoGH novels/series where Yang watches Julian go farther and father toward official military life are so heartbreaking because while he wants what he thinks is best for Julian, he could never force Julian either way... so it always has to be an open choice, with that sliver of hope. And how Julian is living in hero worship but for somewhat skewed reasons, ugh it HURTS. They mean so much to each other, I love these two, so much.  
> +++++++++++++
> 
> Just randomly, Patrick O'Brian's historical fiction novels, including Master and Commander and The Far Side of the World, aren't so much as on the "required reading list" as it is on the "reading list of books approved for reading while on watch duty" (US Navy) meaning it was recommended reading if you had time to kill. Or something like that. Good stuff if you like fictional No Homo(some homo) ship adventures during the Napoleonic Wars. Other military sci-fi books are on the list, so hopefully some day Legend of the Galactic Heroes makes it on there! 
> 
> Also "beating" isn't meant to be literal, drill instructors can't touch you (anymore). They just yell at you to beat yourself. It used to be literal, but it's more slang use today-- though who knows if it's allowed in the future. The Far Side of the World isn't a light novel! 
> 
> Finally, I have no idea if all reports are third person still. I'd be surprised if they weren't, though.


End file.
